The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society Rhetorical Analysis

In the essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society”, written by Jonathan Kozol and published in the Reading for Writers, New York, 2013, the author is raising awareness of illiteracy in the United States and the effects it has on society. He describes the impact that such a large amount of illiterate people can have on voting and the choice of the president. Mr. Kozol uses statistics from the 1980 presidential vote to argue his point, stating that Ronald Reagan likely would not have been the president. Aside from a political view, he provides personal stories to show the difficult obstacles that an illiterate person may encounter on a day to day basis. Furthermore, he explains the health and death risks that the illiterate are faced with
when so much important information is unknown to them that could even save their life. With the use of quotes, he sparks emotion in his readers and better explains how they feel living with such a disadvantage.